The pill is the most commonly used method of contraception in the Netherlands. The pill contains hormones that prevent you from getting pregnant. These hormones suppress your ovulation, causing the mucus in the cervix to thicken. This makes it more difficult for sperm cells to pass through the cervix. In addition, the endometrium is affected. As a result, a fertilized egg cannot implant properly there.
A pill strip has 21 tablets. You take one tablet every day for three weeks. After this you have a stop week, in which you don’t take a pill for 7 days, and you will have your period. After this you start a new strip again. If you forget to take the pill, you may become pregnant. That is why it is important to handle this carefully. Take the pill at a fixed time of the day, for example when you get up or brush your teeth. Then the chance that you forget the pill is smaller.
+ easy to take
+ you can skip, postpone or postpone your period
+ reliable form of contraception
– You have to take the pill daily
– Daily highs and lows in hormone release
– If you forget to take the pill or if you are sick (vomiting or diarrhea), the pill is no longer reliable and you must take additional contraceptives to protect against pregnancy